February 2008 Archives

Hey-o,

Here's what's coming up in New England.

Tonight only! You've heard of evolution being survival of the fittest... animal. How about survival of the fittest animal groups? Communities? Species? A lecture called "Five Rules for Evolutionary Cooperation" is tonight, Feb 28 at 6pm at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, MA. 26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA. (617) 495-3045. http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu

By the way, the Natural History Museum is free Sundays 9-12 and Wed 3-5pm with a Massachusetts ID, such as a drivers license or college ID.

The big event of the week has got to be the Annual Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown! It's Friday, Feb 29, at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center. 5:30pm-9:30pm, buy tix in advance because they usually sell out. They'll have live performances such as a lion dance and a 10-course dinner. http://www.bcnc.net

What's better than a 10-course meal? A 10-course meal of only bacon! That's right, it's time for the Atwood's Tavern Bacon Eating Contest. March 1 at 11:30am. 877 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA. 617-864-2792. Want to join in? Registration forms are due TONIGHT. Want to just watch? Just show up. http://www.atwoodstavern.com

Also weird, the Boston Massacre Re-enactment. This is when the Revolutionary Americans realized that the Brits meant busines. It's mainly happening next week but this is a preview. Mar 5-8 at the Old State House, Boston, MA. Friday 11 & 2, short play. Sat 11:30 & 2:30 Trial of the Century w/ John Adams. Mon 3/5 5:30-7:30 Meet Paul Revere, 8pm re-enactment. http://www.bostonhistory.org/exhibcal.php

The College Comedy Beanpot is an improv comedy competition, Feb 27-Mar 2 at the new location for ImprovBoston. Cambridge, MA. http://www.improvboston.com

The Annual Dance Marathon at the Dance Complex is on Feb 29. It's 12 hours of dance performance, and does not seem to be participatory. The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA. http://www.dancecomplex.org

This one is participatory though. Learn West African Dance is March 2, $13/person and discounts for groups. Web site is broken, call to register. I get the idea she does this regularly. http://www.alicehellerdance.com

The Harvard Center for Astrophsyics is showing the film "Space Odyssey" at Phillips Auditorium, Feb 29. 7pm. http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/events/movienight.html

Geeky and proud of it? InterCon is a Live Action Roleplaying (LARP) convention, March 2-4 in Chelmsford, MA. See website and sign up in advance. http://www.interactiveliterature.org/G/

The Special Olympics Winter Games are Feb 29-Mar 2, in Worcester. http://www.specialolympicsma.org/events/index.asp?page=calendar

Winter is a good time for a film festival, and if you haven't been to Salem recently, here's an excuse. The Salem Film Festival is Feb 28-Mar 6, 1 Church Street, Salem, MA. 978-744-1400. http://www.salemfest.com

Closer to home, and also an excuse to visit someplace great -- the Institute for Contemporary Art -- see a marathon of Academy Award-Winning Short Films, Feb 28-Mar 2. Specifically, 2/28-2/29: 7pm, and 3/1 at 1 & 3pm. http://www.icaboston.org

Speaking of Winter, the "Winter At Williams Winterfest Celebration" -- which is a little redundant, don't you think? -- is March 2. The Wiliams Barn is one of many in the area that have maple sugar demonstrations and other farm homey goodness. March 2. Williams Barn, 160 Chicopee Row, Groton, MA. 1-3pm. Free. http://www.williamsbarn.org

OK, enough winter. Now it's time for Spring!

The first flowers that bloom in the Spring are camellias, and to celebrate that is the Camellia Show at Arnold Arboretum. Mar 1-2, Boston, MA. 617.524.1718 x100. Noon-4:00pm. It's free and there will be singing and gardening demonstrations. http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/visitors/camellia.html

Hobbyists and professional growers are also gearing up for the new season so this is when the trade shows happen. For example, the Central Massachusetts Flower Show, Feb 29-Mar 2, at the DCU Center, Worcester, MA. 508-792-0314. Park at Worcester Municipal Garage at 30 Worcester Center Blvd. http://www.centralmaflowershow.com

Do you love a capella? No? *slap* Don't you listen to WERS on the weekends?

OK, now do you love it? Still no? *slap* *slap* Go to the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and you will be transformed. They have semi semi finals this week and then later on, real semifinals at MIT. Mar 1. Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA. http://www.varsityvocals.com/icca

If all that slapping turned you on, maybe you'll enjoy the MIT Chorallaries Bad Taste Concert. It's also a capella and basically it's in very poor taste. March 3rd. It's mobbed so you must arrive way early to get in line. Cambridge, MA. MIT room 10-250. Arrive early for seating. 11pm. Annual concert where the audience gets to throw toilet paper. Bring squirt guns. http://web.mit.edu/choral/www/badtaste

If all that slapping really really turned you on, check out Midnight Seduction. It's a free flirting party for people interested in kink. March 1. Cambridge, MA. http://myspace.com/bostonseduction

Anything Goes is a dinner theatre event, Feb 29-Mar 1. Singing, dancing dinner theatre pretending to be on a cruise ship. http://people.bu.edu/stage

Bill Cosby, the comedian, is performing at the Opera House. I've seen him and its' very "family" and not very edgy. Mar 1.

Yet more Guitar Hero, and by the way I've learned that Rock Band is just as good and there are "Rock Band" nights at the Asgard in Cambridge and elsewhere. Anyway, the Guitar Hero Tournament at Steeples Restaurant is March 1. That's in Western Massachusetts. http://northadams.boxcarmedia.com/index.php?navid=8&calid=1288

This week's bonus is -- hey!! -- a lot of local classical orchestras have rehearsals that you can get into for free. I don't care about classical music so I'm going to make you do the research. http://brorchestra.org and http://www.cantonband.org and http://goldentones.org and http://waltham-legionband.org

Your chance to go ice skating will disappear in mid-March:

-- Kendall Square, Cambridge. Mon 12-5, Tue-Thu 12-8, Fri 12-9, Sat 11-9, Sun 11-6. http://www.kendallsquare.org/ice.html

-- Boston Common, Boston. Mon 10-5, Tue-Thu 10-9, Fri/Sat 10-10, Sun 10-9, http://www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org

-- Harvard Square, Cambridge. 617.234.8008. Mon-Fri 2-8, Sat/Sun 10-8. http://www.charleshotel.com/iceskating.htm

-- Brookline. To March 4. Tue Thu 10-12, Fri 7:30-9:30pm, Sat/Sun 12-5pm. 23 Newton Street, Brookline. 617-739-7518. http://www.townofbrooklinemass.com/recreation/LarzAnderson.html

-- Other places, http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/skating.htm

Continuing events:

-- Chess, to Mar 2, http://www.turtlelane.org

-- Julius Caesar, to Mar 16, http://www.amrep.org/caesar/

Be naughty, take pictures.

-Johnny

Good morning,

Here's your weird of the week.

The weird event of the week is the Silent Dance Experiment, Feb 23. Download the mystery dance music to your iPod. Then meet at the Sam Adams statue at Faneuil Hall at 1pm. Boston, MA. And dance listening to your headphones. Who knows how well they'll be able to synchronize the beats, I guess they'll try! http://www.misteriosos.org

Also weird, IHOP National Pancake Day! You get a short stack of pancakes free, and they ask you to donate to charity. http://www.ihoppancakeday.com/

If you're like me, you had a limited humanities education and have only vaguely heard of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and you're apt to nod your head knowledgeably as though knowing who that is. Well, come celebrate the dead poet at Longfellow's 200 Birthday Celebration, on Feb 23, 10am-12pm at Mount Auburn Cemetery, which is a lovely place to go for a walk. It's free. http://www.gifttool.com/registrar/ShowEventDetails?ID=1217&EID=2201

There will be a lunar eclipse starting tomorrow evening, Feb 20, from 8:43pm to 12:09am. I saw the last one. I took a date to Yirrell Beach in Winthrop, MA, which is a great place to watch the planes take off from Logan Airport because they fly directly over you as low as 200 feet. So we sat watching the surf and the planes and the moon. And then my date said, "What's the big deal about a lunar eclipse? We see the moon go through phases all month." And so it was. Over a painfully long period of time, we slowly watched the moon do the same thing it does every month.

Anyway, it's the last lunar eclipse until 2010 and a great place to watch it would be at Observatory Night @ Phillips Auditorium, Feb 20, at 9pm. This is at Harvard's Phillips Auditorium, at the rear of the CfA complex near Madison Street and a large parking lot, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA. http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/events/publicevents.html

In fact, they have events every 3rd Thursday, including a program Feb 21 at 7:30pm about solar flares. Also http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/events/publicevents.html and oh hey, this is fun, they're showing sci-fi movies Feb 29 and May 3, the "Space Odyssey" series.

The next eclipse to get excited about is the total solar eclipse in August, which I will remind you about. :)

You can also go stargazing, but always call ahead because if it's cloudy, they cancel:

-- Tuesdays in Brookline, 20 Newton Street, Brookline, from Apr-Nov. 617-454-2718. http://www.claycenter.org/astro

-- Wednesdays at Boston University, from 8:30-9:30 Apr-Oct, else 7:30-8:30 winter. 725 Comm Ave, 5th floor, Boston. 617-353-2630. http://www.bu.edu/astronomy/opennight.html

-- Fridays at the Museum of Science, Boston, 8:30-10pm. Free. 617-589-0267. http://www.mos.org/eventsactivities/socialevents&d=1212

Most people have given up on North Korea as a lost cause, which is sad because they have serious human rights issues. What better way to improve the situatiuon than to listen to traditional Korean drumming? The North Korea Humanitarian Concert is Feb 22, at MIT's Kresge Auditorium, 6:30-8pm. Free.

Clearly a better way to help people is to give all our money to Hollywood, so that smug people from California can visit Massachusetts and disdain our weather. But wait! Maybe we can start a new revolution and bring traditions such as The Academy Awards to Cambridge. This is the idea behind the Oscar Gala at the Brattle Theatre, which is apparently some sort of live video cast. Feb 24. Do people actually dress up for this? http://www.brattlefilm.org
More small geeky conventions keep popping up. This time, it's TotalCon, for roleplaying gamers. Feb 21-24 in Mansfield, MA. http://www.totalcon.com/

Also, if you like Guitar Hero, the video game (invented in Boston!) where you pretend you're a guitar-playing rock star, here are some opportunities to do it in public, Karaoke style:

-- The main scene is the Guitar Hero Tournament at Good Times Emporium, Feb 21 and every Thursday, http://www.goodtimeemporium.com

-- Guitar Hero Tournament @ Boston Public Library, Feb 20, conveniently scheduled in the middle of the work day every Wednesday at 3:30pm in the Young Adult Room. This one's for teenagers, and they have Wii too. http://www.bpl.org/news/upcomingevents.htm and they have it in Brockton too, http://www.brocktonpubliclibrary.org/

-- Out in Western MA, pre-register now for the annual Guitar Hero Tournament at Steeples Restaurant in North Adams, MA. http://northadams.boxcarmedia.com/index.php?navid=8&calid=1288

-- There are Guitar Hero tournaments monthly in Framingham at Game Universe, http://www.myspace.com/GameUniverse

-- Finally, I was unable to confirm this but it seems like the Guitar Hero Challenge at the Common Ground Bar on Wednesdays is no longer happening. http://www.commongroundbarandgrill.com

Perhaps you'd prefer something where you can just watch. Well, how about ""Games of Steel", Feb 22-24, at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, in Boston, MA, which claims to be a rock opera with a game show theme. How bad could it be? Find out at http://www.maj.org/P2008/gos.html where they have a video.

Much more recommended however is the Harlem Globetrotters. Even for a non-sports-loving person like me, I'm super excited. Feb 20 in Springfield; Feb 22-23 in Bridgeport, CT; Feb 24 in Worcester; Mar 28 in Manchester NH. http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/806223

More acrobatics, but without basketballs. If my constant badgering hasn't gotten you over to the ICA, even on their weekly free Thursday night, check out the Battleworks Dance Company, which is performing Feb 22-23. Just take one look at the Web site and you'll be thinking wow, what kind of freaky modern dance acrobatics is this? http://www.icaboston.org/programs/performance/subpage?keyword_id=27201

I just had to laugh at this one, but in a good way. There's a model train convention called Rail-A-Rama XL Train Show, Feb 24. It looks small and not overly classy, but the hobbyists who work with model railroads have so much passion, you just have to love it. That enthusiasm is contagious. Go and check it out. Christina's Function Facility, Rt 1, Foxboro, MA. 617-361-4445. 10am-4pm. Free parking. $5. http://www.mysticvalleyrs.org

Not that you need to know this, but the Whole Foods near me on River Street has free food samplings, Fridays 5-7pm. Maybe others, too. Yummy. My secret plan is to grab some and then hear to the less expensive Shaw's. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/calendars/CAM.html

Your bonus museums for the week are:

-- The Mark Twain House & Museum. I've been and it's remarkably worth seeing. 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT. (860) 247-0998. http://www.marktwainhouse.org

-- The New England Aquarium has the largest ocean tank in the world. And an IMAX movie screen. Central Wharf, Boston, MA. 617-973-5200. http://www.neaq.org

-- Tired of the New England Aquarium? Visit Mystic Seaport, 75 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic, CT. 888-973-2667. I went once, it's worth the trip. http://www.mysticseaport.org

-- I've never been but the Woods Hole Science Aquarium is also available, on Cape Cod. They are conveniently open Mon-Fri 11am-4pm when most of us are working. http://aquarium.nefsc.noaa.gov

If you'd like to go ice skating:

-- Kendall Square, Cambridge. Mon 12-5, Tue-Thu 12-8, Fri 12-9, Sat 11-9, Sun 11-6. http://www.kendallsquare.org/ice.html

-- Boston Common, Boston. Mon 10-5, Tue-Thu 10-9, Fri/Sat 10-10, Sun 10-9, http://www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org

-- Harvard Square, Cambridge. 617.234.8008. Mon-Fri 2-8, Sat/Sun 10-8. http://www.charleshotel.com/iceskating.htm

-- Brookline. To March 4. Tue Thu 10-12, Fri 7:30-9:30pm, Sat/Sun 12-5pm. 23 Newton Street, Brookline. 617-739-7518. http://www.townofbrooklinemass.com/recreation/LarzAnderson.html

-- Other places, http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/skating.htm

Continuing events:

-- BANFF Mountain Film Festival, to Feb 20, http://www.regenttheatre.com/events

-- "Dirty Comics", to Feb 24, http://www.washingtonst.org

-- Chess, to Mar 2, http://www.turtlelane.org

-- Julius Caesar, to Mar 16, http://www.amrep.org/caesar/

Have fun. Buy one of those disposable cameras and abandon it somewhere with a sign that says "FEED ME".

-Johnny

If you'd care to see the Dropkick Murphy's on their annual tour through New England, 4 of their 5 shows are already sold out, so get your tix for March 15 in Lowell right now. http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/tour.htm

Hi!

The Kendall Square Ice Rink is having a Valentine's Day Skate with a special ice performance at 8pm. http://www.paddleboston.com/blogs/skate/skateblog.html

And nearby same time & location is that MIT Chocolate Tasting, see 2nd to last post.

-Johnny

The Gardner Museum is doing a Valentine's Day evening, but it'll cost a couple $175, although it includes museum membership. 280 The Fenway, Boston, MA. (617)566-1401. http://www.gardnermuseum.org

The Pirates of Penzance, my favorite Gilbert and Sullivan musical, is at the Riverside Theatre Works Feb 15-17. 45 Fairmount Ave, Boston, MA. 617-361-5269. http://www.riversidetheatreworks.org

Hi all,

It's bitter today, but don't complain. People complaining about the weather are basically advertising their own weakness. Be stoic like true Yankees and keep that inner pain to yourself. Or embrace it and try cross country skiing.

The weird event of the week has got to be the Merrimack River Eagle Festival, Feb 16, near the New Hampshire border in Amesbury, MA. 978-388-3178. Yes, they'll have live eagle demonstrations and guided tours. http://www.massaudubon.org/eaglefestival

Also outdoorsy, a couple of weeks ago I mentioned a winter festival in Greenfield, MA. Not to be outdone, the community in Greenfield, NH is also putting on a carnival. Town of Greenfield Winter Carnival, Feb 15-16. They'll have an ice fishing derby, cardboard sled races, and even a log cutting contest. http://www.greenfield-nh.gov/PublicDocuments/GreenfieldNHNews/I012A8A0D

Too cold? Go indoors at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival, Feb 15-17, Sheraton Hotel Framingham, Framingham, MA. Beyond merely performances, they'll have vendors and workshops on things like ballads, cowboy songs, and yodeling. http://www.bbu.org/jvhome.htm

I've seen this next one and it's highly recommended. The Carnaval d'Amour, with the Boston Babydolls, is a burlesque show taking place Feb 14 at T.T. the Bear's,10 Brookline St. Cambridge MA. They'll have Burlesque dancers, music, dance, magic, striptease, and variety acts. Note, this kind of strip tease is more of a dance than a nudie parade. It's classy and vaudevillian. Possibly safe to take your sweetheart on Valentine's Day? Try it and see. http://www.ticketweb.com

Too classy for you? Perhaps you'd prefer to be entertained by Sex Workers, which is a euphemism for prostitutes. No really, there's an event called the "Sex Workers Art Show", Feb 14-18, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA.Apparently they'll have visual and performance art including burlesque. Although they say they'll show the darker side and won't glorify prostitution, somehow I don't buy it and I wonder if the cops will show up. Check out the fun at http://www.sexworkersartshow.com

Or if you prefer banal, Valentine's Day is Thursday, and it looks like every bar is having some kind of "festival", and it basically goes like this: "Come to our bar and buy lots of liquor". Pick up the Improper Bostonian for the sizzling details on such trite events.

Here's one example. Valentine Day FlirtFest is Feb 14 at Vinalia, 34 Summer Street, Boston, MA. 6:30pm-midnight. You drink, dance, and they'll announce "winners". http://www.bostoneventguide.com/flirtfest.htm

The Harvard Model United Nations convention is Feb 14-17. I haven't been but I've seen similar things and they're usually fascinating if you're at all intersted in world politics. Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA. http://www.hnmun.org

If that's too serious, perhaps Boskone will appeal, where it's all Science Fiction and Fantasy Fun. It's the other science fiction convention in New England that's not Arisia. Feb 15-17, Westin Waterfront, Boston, MA. Events include a "Zombie Panel", an update on colonizing Mars, and advice for new authors. http://www.nesfa.org/boskone

Perhaps that's too active. Here's an opportunity to sit on your butt for 24 hours. The Annual Sci-Fi Film Festival at the Somerville Theatre is Feb 17-18, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA. 617-625-5700. Surprisingly the organizers have chosen not to put the schedule on their Web site. http://www.somervilletheatreonline.com

Children rely on their parents for guidance, and none more so than children with special needs. That's why it's so great to see parental mismanagement exemplified in the Special Olympics Passion Plunge, where hundreds of children are encouraged to dip into icy waters. Come see them choose between loyalty and survival on Feb 16. http://www.passionplunge.org

A friend explained to me why I can rarely dig up information about Chinese New Year. The Chinese consider it a quiet personal family day. The street celebration occurs 15 days later (sort of like the 12 Days of Xmas), and that's the Lantern Festival. So I will try to find out more information about that.

Meanwhile, check out the Asian Lunar New Year, Feb 17 in Quincy, MA. The good news? It's free. The bad news? It's described merely as a "festival with dance, music, and food". I'm sure it will be worth a peek if you're already in the area. http://www.discoverquincy.com/calendarYear.htm

Also, the Peabody Essex Museum is having their Lunar New Year Celebration on Feb 16, with Korean drumming, dancing, street festival and a parade. The PEM is by itself worth visiting and it's right in Salem with tons of stuff to do. Lion dances at 11:30am and 3:30pm. http://pem.org/events/calendar.php?m=02&d=16&y=2008

Just as the PEM is a great place you should be visiting anyway, here's an excuse to visit the Fuller Museum which is also fantastic. I've been three times. It's [SENSE]ation Day at Fuller Museum, Feb 18. It's like arts and crafts gone wild. They'll have interactive performances, participatory arts making, candy making demonstrations, Japanese paper dyeing, mask-making, etc. 455 Oak Street, Brockton, MA. 508-588-6000. If you can't make it then, I've just learned that the Fuller is free Wednesdays 5-9pm. http://www.fullercraft.org

Clearly that's too cerebral for some people. The Bugs Bunny Film Festival is for you, an art form that's chock full of racism, sexism and violence, although presumably the Brattle will be selective about which shorts they pick. Feb 15-23. http://www.brattlefilm.org/brattlefilm/index.html

I'd much more recommend the BANFF Mountain Film Festival World Tour, Feb 18-20 at 7pm. The world's best mountain climbing films, which personally is as close as I ever want to get to dangling off a cliff face. http://www.regenttheatre.com/events

There's a venue whose name kinda scares me, it's the Lizard Lounge, in Cambridge. They have a big sign saying Boston's Best Lounge and that causes me to wonder, what is a lounge? A bunch of very dirty old communal sofas? Get me my Purell! Anyway, they have regular poetry jams, and their anniversary is Feb 17. Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA. 617-547-0759. http://www.lizardloungeclub.com/main.html and http://www.poetryjam.org. 8pm slam, then 9:30pm celebration.

Here are a few things that occur all year, but with the bad weather it's a good time to check them out.

There's a mini amusement park called Tomb, where you pretend to be Indiana Jones for an hour. Walk into their exhibit and become trapped by the Pharaoh in an ancient Egyptian pyramind. Then solve puzzles and explore to escape, if you can. Highly recommended! It's totally weird and fun. 186 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA. 617-375-9487. http://www.5-wits.com

The Franklin Park Zoo is open all winter, with quite a few of its animals on display, although not all. Boston, MA. http://www.franklinparkzoo.org

Ever wanted to go dog sledding? Now you can, in New Hampshire. See http://www.mushnh.com and http://www.dogsledrides.com/new-hampshire.php

Let's say hypothetically that you think skiing could be fun but are SCARED WITLESS. Well, snow tubing is for you. This complex activity involves sitting on a big inner tube in total safety and scooting down a snow slope. The largest one in New England is at Nashoba Valley, and they even have it at night. Powers Road, Westford, MA. 978-692-3033. http://www.skinashoba.com/index.php?command=winter&section=tubing&topic=info#directionsTubingPark

Another closeby snow tubing place is Ski Ward, at 1000 Main St, Shrewsbury, MA. http://www.skiward.com/

You can also find a major tubing slope at Mt. Cranmore, http://www.cranmore.com, and others at Gunstock, Loon, and Waterville Valley. Those are all in NH.

As I mentioned last week, Darwin Day is tomorrow. See http://www.darwinday.org and search for " MA " to find local events. For example:

-- The Annual Darwin Toast. 7pm Feb 12, songs, limericks, and party food at Redline, 59 JFK St., Cambridge. http://www.naturalism.org/darwinday.htm

-- The Darwin Festival, at Salem State College, Feb 11-15, which is a series of movies and lectures. http://w3.salemstate.edu/~pkelly/darwin/

You only have 3-4 more weeks to get out there and try some ice skating:

-- Kendall Square, Cambridge. Mon 12-5, Tue-Thu 12-8, Fri 12-9, Sat 11-9, Sun 11-6. http://www.kendallsquare.org/ice.html

-- Boston Common, Boston. Mon 10-5, Tue-Thu 10-9, Fri/Sat 10-10, Sun 10-9, http://www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org

-- Harvard Square, Cambridge. 617.234.8008. Mon-Fri 2-8, Sat/Sun 10-8. http://www.charleshotel.com/iceskating.htm

-- Brookline. To March 4. Tue Thu 10-12, Fri 7:30-9:30pm, Sat/Sun 12-5pm. 23 Newton Street, Brookline. 617-739-7518. http://www.townofbrooklinemass.com/recreation/LarzAnderson.html

-- Other places, http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/skating.htm

Continuing events:

-- Chess, to Mar 2, http://www.turtlelane.org

-- The Little Dog Laughed, to Feb 16, http://www.bostontheatrescene.com/season/production.aspx?id=4441&src=t

-- Hasty Pudding Man/Woman of the Year Awards, Feb 15. http://www.hastypudding.org

-- "Dirty Comics", to Feb 24, http://www.washingtonst.org

-- Salem's So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival, to Feb 14, http://www.salem-chamber.org/SalemSoSweet.html

-- Flamenco "Festival" to Feb 17, http://www.maj.org/P2007/wm_flam.html
-- Julius Caesar, to Mar 16, http://www.amrep.org/caesar/

Have fun and go crazy with your week. Send your ideas for Valentine's Day to johnnydeppfun@yahoo.com

-Johnny

Hi all,

I have a friend who's crazy fun named Jason Jedrusiak, who is a photographer, and his art is going on display this weekend. A bunch of us are coming for the opening presentation, come find us and say hi, I'm the tall guy. The Reception & Talk is Sunday February 10, 2-4pm, at the Armenian Library and Museum of America, http://www.almainc.org. I mentioned this museum a couple of weeks ago as worth the trip anyhow, so this your excuse to go! The exhibit ends Feb 29. http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=IAUGUHIAOJYNFRIEHQAQ&li=iq&src=email&trk=aei2

The weird event of the week has got to be the Scientology Protest. Have you heard of the Church of Scientology? They have a track record of suing and harassing people who point out that they are a giant scam. The idea of the church basically is to get weak people emotionally dependent on expensive self-improvement "classes". So, hundreds of people will gather outside Scientology headquarters to protest, anonymously. Bring a mask. Feb 10, 11am, 448 Beacon St, Boston, MA. More info at http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/AnonymousplanstoprotestChurchofScientologyonFebruary10 and http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/pol/555621947.html

If that's not enough for you, how about bashing creationism as well? Every year there's a celebration called Darwin Day in honor of the scientist who discovered evolution. Feb 12. On this Web site http://www.darwinday.org you have to do a search for " MA " to find local events. For example:

-- The Annual Darwin Toast. 7pm Feb 12, songs, limericks, and party food at Redline, 59 JFK St., Cambridge. http://www.naturalism.org/darwinday.htm

-- The Darwin Festival, at Salem State College, Feb 11-15, which is a series of movies and lectures. http://w3.salemstate.edu/~pkelly/darwin/

Get this. Even though Harvard does not official have a theatre department, every hear the theatre students have an awards ceremony and manage to attract some major stars. I have to assume that who the award goes to is closely linked to which celebrity they can get to show up, rather than the award going to the best celebrity who then *decides* whether to show up. They have one for best man and one for best woman. Hasty Pudding Man/Woman of the Year Awards, Feb 7 and Feb 15. Tickets sell out so get them immediately. Zero Arrow Street Theater, Cambridge, MA. 617-495-5205. http://www.hastypudding.org

There's an entire art show called "Dirty Comics", which you know has just got to be great, to Feb 24, Washington Street Arts Center, 321 Washington St., Somerville, MA. 617-623-5325. http://www.washingtonst.org

Bread and Puppet Theatre is the best known puppet performance troupe and no, they are not just for kids! I'm told they have separate adult and kid shows. I'm sure it's worth seeing, um, relative to other puppet shows at least. Feb 4-10, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, MA. 617-426-1522. 27 puppeteers and a brass band. http://www.bcaonline.org

As I mentioned last week, Mortified Boston is tonight. Feb 6. Paradise Lounge, 967 Comm Ave, Boston, MA. Everyday people share their most embarassing moments. http://www.getmortified.com/live

Also tonight, a lecture on modern slavery. Yes, there are still slaves in the world and apparently this talk is aimed also towards taking action. "Ending Slavery: How We Free Today's Slaves", Feb 6. Church, 3 Church Street, Cambridge, MA. 617-876-7772. 7:30pm. http://www.cambridgeforum.org

This one should be fun!! I've always wanted to go animal tracking. Haven't you? Animal Tracking at Quabbin is Feb 9 at the Broadmoor Sanctuary, 280 Eliot Street, Natick, MA. 508-655-2296. http://www.massaudubon.org/NatureConnection/Sanctuaries/Broadmoor/catalog.php?code=558-BR08WI1&sancName=Broadmoor&getresults=long

Insane people are gathering again to swim in icy water. The New England Network Polar Plunge is Feb 10, Curley Recreation Center, 1663 Columbia Road, South Boston, MA. 617-876-4444. 1pm. It's for charity. What if I raise money from donors to not plunge? http://eastendhouse.org/images/PolarPlungeCompanyFlyer.doc

Although I haven't seen it, every year the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater comes to Boston and they're supposed to be fantastic. Feb 7-10. Wang Theater. (800) 447-7400. http://www.alvinailey.org

If you listen to NPR, then you know about "This American Life", which is a series of funny or sappy stories about regular Americans. Two of the regular contributors, Sarah Vowell & David Rakoff, perform Feb 8 to tell some funny and sappy anecdotes at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA. 617-482-2595

XMortis is happening again, it's the only fetish/goth dance club that is 18+ not 21+, so all you college students, go for it. Feb 8. Cambridge. http://www.xmortis.com

Lowell has a very proactive tourism department and they are always holding creative events. This week it's their WinterFest Celebration, Feb 8-9, which includes "human dogsled races". How great is that. http://www.lowellwinterfest.org

There's another festival, the Annual Greenfield Winter Carnival, Feb 8-10, in Greenfield MA which is out West. http://www.townofgreenfield.org/1recreat/pdfsrecreation/2008%20Winter%20Carnival%20Events%20and%20Activity%20Schedule%20(PDF).pdf

This festival is fairly transparent, it's the Salem's So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival, Feb 8-14. Certain retail stores will be handing out free candy, and they will have 15 ice sculptures around the city. Normally I'd write this off as a non-event, but Salem has so many museums and attractions, this is just a nice excuse to visit a place you should be going to anyway. http://www.salem-chamber.org/SalemSoSweet.html

Want chocolate but don't want to travel? Much closer to home, there's a chocolate factory called Taza and they are having an Open House on Feb 9, at 561 Windsor Street B-206, Somerville, MA. Factory tours 1-6pm every hour and free samples. http://www.tazachocolate.com/markets.php

Who knows why I'm listing this, but if you want to go with the marketing flow that somes wines are worth 100x more than other wines, the Boston Wine Expo is Feb 8-10. My suggestion? Invest in artwork instead. http://www.wineexpoboston.com/

Also in the "fake festival" category, the Flamenco Festival is basically a performance. Feb 8-17, Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston, MA. 800-233-3123. http://www.maj.org/P2007/wmflam.html

And the Regattabar Jazz Festival is not only not a festival, it takes place over 3 months, which is a real stretch. It's sort of like saying that McDonald's is a "festival" because they're open 12 months of the year and sell hamburgers. Feb 8-May 5, Boston, MA. http://www.regattabarjazz.com

Twice a year there's a celebration in Chinatown that I can't get any information about. I guess they're mainly postering not Web site advertising. This year it's the Chinese New Year Celebration.

Well, they are having one in Harvard Square, Feb 10, from 2-4pm, including a Lion Dance Parade along JFK to Mass Ave. Then arts and crafts at the Hong Kong Restaurant. http://www.harvardsquare.com/Home/Articles/A-Chinese-New-Year-Celebration-in-Harvard-Square.aspx

Julius Caesar, yet another example of the domination of William Shakespeare instead of more modern playwrights. Feb 9, American Repertory Theatre, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA. 617-547-8300. You might even see some naked people in togas. Sat 8pm & Sun 2pm.

Yet more ice skating:

-- Kendall Square, Cambridge. Mon 12-5, Tue-Thu 12-8, Fri 12-9, Sat 11-9, Sun 11-6. http://www.kendallsquare.org/ice.html

-- Boston Common, Boston. Mon 10-5, Tue-Thu 10-9, Fri/Sat 10-10, Sun 10-9, http://www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org

-- Harvard Square, Cambridge. 617.234.8008. Mon-Fri 2-8, Sat/Sun 10-8. http://www.charleshotel.com/iceskating.htm

-- Brookline. To March 4. Tue Thu 10-12, Fri 7:30-9:30pm, Sat/Sun 12-5pm. 23 Newton Street, Brookline. 617-739-7518. http://www.townofbrooklinemass.com/recreation/LarzAnderson.html

-- Other places, http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/skating.htm

Continuing events:

-- Chess, to Mar 2, http://www.turtlelane.org

-- African American Theatre Festival, to Feb 9, http://www.bostontheatrescene.com/season/production.aspx?id=5225&src=t

-- The Little Dog Laughed, to Feb 16, http://www.bostontheatrescene.com/season/production.aspx?id=4441&src=t

That ought to hold you for a week.

-Johnny